Isaias Beltre-Matos, a 44-year-old Dominican national and legal permanent resident from Providence, Rhode Island, has pleaded guilty to his role in an identity trafficking scheme that targeted Puerto Rican U.S. citizens.
According to court documents, Beltre-Matos, who was charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Puerto Rico on Aug. 6, 2015, admitted to being part of a conspiracy to commit identification fraud and human smuggling for financial gain.
Beltre-Matos, who faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, admitted that identity document runners in the Savarona area of Caguas, Puerto Rico, obtained Puerto Rican identities and corresponding identity documents.
He also admitted that conspirators in various cities throughout the United States solicited customers for the sale of social security cards and corresponding Puerto Rico birth certificates for prices ranging from $700 to $2,500 per set.
Beltre-Matos further admitted that he sold Puerto Rican identity documents to customers who generally obtained the documents to assume the identity of Puerto Rican U.S. citizens and to obtain additional identification documents, such as legitimate state driver’s licenses.
The investigation, dubbed Operation Island Express II, was led by the Chicago offices of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), USPIS, DSS, and IRS-CI, with assistance from the ICE-HSI San Juan Office and the DSS Resident Office in Puerto Rico.
Beltre-Matos is the 14th individual to be charged in the identity trafficking scheme, and his guilty plea brings the total number of defendants who have pleaded guilty to six. Two defendants await trial, and six individuals remain fugitives.
Related Federal Cases
- Dominican National Sentenced to Prison in Identity Theft Scheme · Puerto Rico
- Supermarket Owner Juan Vasquez Sentenced in $2.6M Tax Fraud Scheme · Puerto Rico
- Providence Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Involving USPS Kidnapping · Puerto Rico
- Providence Man Sentenced for Kidnapping USPS Employee in Cocaine Trafficking Plot · Puerto Rico
- Methuen Man Gets 27 Months for Identity Theft Scheme · Massachusetts
Key Facts
- State: Federal
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Organized Crime|White Collar Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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